


A Chance For Love

by Laysa_Lespoir



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Angst, Post-War
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-10
Updated: 2020-08-10
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:53:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,493
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25828501
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Laysa_Lespoir/pseuds/Laysa_Lespoir
Summary: And so…there was Draco. Kissing her like there was no tomorrow. The world fell into a spinning silence; all that was heard was the sound of his soul crashing on her lips. | Draco Malfoy x Hermione Granger (Dramione) | Post War AU; Fluff; Romance.
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Draco Malfoy
Comments: 9
Kudos: 63





	A Chance For Love

**Author's Note:**

> WARNINGS: An explicit kiss at the end; some cursing.
> 
> Disclaimer: HP belongs to J. K. Rowling. I just like to play with her characters in my imagination.
> 
> A/N: Let's imagine, just for the sake of this fic, that the first time Hermione and Draco met in "Sorcerer's stone" was at the boats' ride to Hogwarts castle and that Draco had a toad as a pet -that he got rid of later cuz all the teasing from his classmates and he become the little shit Draco was as a kid, okay? ;)   
> Also, this is FANFICTION, remember that while reading.  
> Hope you guys like it!<3

**&.**

“ _ Fucking Death Eater _ .” 

Draco Malfoy gritted his teeth as he heard the man who had just passed him whisper the insult at him. 

It wasn't the first time something like that had happened. After five years, Draco had grown accustomed to such situations– even if he didn’t show that it bothered him. Still, he admitted that the first year after the war had been the worst. 

After his family was forgiven of any death during the war, the wizarding population had personally taken it upon themselves to remind him and his family, daily, of all the wrong they had done, who they really were and what they really deserved for their mistakes. And thanks to  _ whom _ he had been ‘forgiven’. 

_ Harry Potter _ . 

Draco knew and understood it perfectly. His former partner in almost all their classes taught at Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, everyone's hero in the wizarding world, the "boy who lived"  _ twice _ . The man himself had been the one who had saved Draco from any conviction by witnessing in favour of his family. 

And as much as he hated it, Draco had to admit a certain thankfulness to Harry Potter as well. Not for himself. If Draco had had to spend time in Azkaban because of the mistakes he made, he would have done so without protest. Because he knew, he deserved it. Like his father. 

Honestly, Draco thought it was all his father’s fault. He had been the main reason why he had to join that madman that Lucius Malfoy called ‘Dark Lord’. Malfoys always got what they wanted. His father wanted his son to be a Death Eater, and he got it.

Draco would never forgive him for that.

His mother, Narcissa Malfoy, was a completely different story. She had been caught in the middle, never really wanting to join the dark nor the light side in this war. She wouldn't have deserved to spend a single day at Azkaban in a million years. So, Draco was grateful that thanks to Potter, she didn't have to go through that situation.

Everything had changed. Five years seemed to have been enough to bring the entire wizarding community back to  _ normal _ . Well, it was as normal as it could be, knowing that although the Dark Lord had definitely fallen, there were still followers who refused to surrender. And yes, Draco was also grateful not to be part of those Death Eaters.

Draco Malfoy came back from the world his mind created when he lost himself in his thoughts the moment when his walk was interrupted by something soft that hit his front; not too hard, although the blow had left him rubbing his chest. He looked down until he found a familiar wild, brown-ish, red-ish mane, full of untamed curls. It was not something, but  _ someone _ . His grey eyes filled with annoyance met her simple chocolate ones. 

Many memories—especially a certain event that had taken place at his family mansion almost six years ago—came back to his mind in that mere second that he found those deep brown orbs full of fire and life. 

Draco smiled internally. He would never admit out loud the relief he felt when he saw that fire again in her.

Automatically, his expression softened before nodding in the direction of the girl. "Granger," he said before stepping aside and continuing on his way. 

That was the first time he met the witch again, for whom he had always held a certain admiration– and attraction. Yes, Draco Malfoy admitted now. He had always felt admiration for Hermione Granger.

Admiration that Draco still felt after five long years. 

.

"It is not impossible, Draco. Think about it. You have as much right to be an Auror as any other wizard, Son.”

Dracohad already lost count of the number of times his mother insisted on talking about it. 

It's not like he hadn't thought about it already. Being an Auror was what he longed for the most, what he always wanted. However, after all the bad decisions he had made, that wish had become a simple dream. A distant one. And for the first time, Draco wasn't so sure that this Malfoy would get what he wanted. 

He was so focused in his mind that little did he notice his mother walking into the store, much less the man who passed by and insulted him,  _ again _ , for being a Death Eater. Could it be that they would never invent new insults to tell him? ‘ _ Fucking Death Eater _ ’ was getting old. They were always the same; they were always for the same. And as always, Draco chose to ignore them. 

But apparently, this man was not satisfied with just insulting him. A couple of meters away, he stopped, took out his wand and turned to the blond-haired man, pointing it at him. 

For the first time, Draco Malfoy was too slow to draw his wand before the spell was cast at him. The only thing left for him to do was close his eyes and wait for the impact…which never came. 

When he opened his eyes, he found himself behind a Protective Shield. On the other side, he recognized that mane of curls from a few weeks ago. She was yelling at the man who had tried to attack him but Draco wasn't paying attention to what she was saying. He couldn't take his eyes off the beautiful and perfectly created shield that had protected him, that had saved him. Unlike many he had seen, the one she had created was a rare transparent green color; he could almost see the emerald-green flashes glowing on it.  _ Green _ . His favorite color. Like a true Slytherin. 

Once Draco left his admiration for the simple shield—which it seemed made just for him, while simple to others—his eyes focused on the person who owned that well-known mane striding towards him, with that gaze full of fire and life…and anger. He swallowed hard. 

Hermione Granger said something in his direction. He frowned at the sight of her small mouth moving without a sound. 

"What?"

She repeated her words again but there was still no sound. 

"What? I can’t hear you." Anger intensified in her eyes that didn't stray from his. 

But then she shook her head, realizing something before speaking again– Draco guessed that it must have been some kind of spell, since at the same time she was waving her wand the shield began to slide down, disappearing. As it did, he recognized the sounds around him again. 

When he was about to thank her— _ yes _ , thank her, something that normally wouldn’t happen— Hermione spoke. 

"You're an idiot; did you know that?" Her words nearly wobbled him back in surprise. Those were definitely not the words he expected. 

Her, having been a Gryffindor, Draco expected a typical 'are you alright?'. Or perhaps he even expected a mockery—especially from her, after the record they both shared—for his slowness in taking out his own wand to defend himself, to the point that  _ she _ , his long time enemy, had been faster than him. Perhaps even a boast about having saved his ass,  _ again _ . 

No. Draco was definitely not expecting the insult at all. 

He opened his mouth, ready to answer back, completely forgetting the ‘ _ thanks _ ’ but she spoke again, cutting him off before he could say anything. 

“ _ Never _ – Draco Malfoy, listen to me clearly,” the annoyance he had felt seconds ago vanished completely when those chocolate orbs looked at him with intense concern. “I don't care in the least what happened in the past. Never let someone try to hurt you again. Do you hear me?  _ NEVER _ ." Hermione's index finger was poking at his chest, at the level of his heart. If she hadn't been so upset, she would have noticed his rapid heartbeat. 

Before Draco could answer her, before he could ask her the reason for that concern in her eyes, before he could really thank her this time; she turned on her heels and walked away…still angry. 

That was the second time he had met Hermione Granger, and Draco felt his admiration for her increase. Until almost becoming…infatuation. He also felt like an idiot, as she had called him, because he knew she would never reciprocate that admiration, that infatuation. 

But his mother, who had witnessed everything that had happened from the door of the store, smiled widely. Apparently, not everything was as lost as it appeared. There’s still hope for the Malfoy family. 

The fascination in her son's gaze towards the young witch and the concern with which Hermione Granger had scolded him, were a clear indication that Draco would at least have a chance to be happy, after all.

And Narcissa Malfoy was very, very rarely wrong. 

.

"... _ this cannot be true _ ." 

" _...but he's a Death Eater...he doesn't deserve it... _ " 

" _ I swear I will quit... _ " 

" _ I told you he had lost his mind... _ " 

" _ I would rather work with the madmen of the Department of Magical Creatures than with a cowardly Death Eater who- ... _ " 

"THAT’S ENOUGH!" Draco jumped in his chair when Potter's voice rose above all the other voices that kept protesting. "I didn't ask for anyone's opinion on whether or not Draco Malfoy deserves to be an Auror. He already is.” Everyone watched Potter in complete silence. "As the Head of the Auror Department,  _ I am pleased _ to introduce our newest member, Draco Malfoy." 

For the first time in his life,  _ the _ Draco Malfoy was uncomfortable from all the gazes that fell on him at that moment. But that discomfort disappeared as quickly as it came when his eyes met a familiar pair looking at him expectantly. 

Hermione Granger was the first to stand up and approach him. A heartfelt smile reached those beautiful chocolate orbs curving into her delicate little face as her hand reached out for him. 

The blonde-haired ex Death Eater watched her for a few moments before deciding to hold her hand with some hesitation. The smile on her expanded. 

"Welcome to paradise, Malfoy." Granger said in a funny and sarcastic tone before winking at him. Potter, accompanied by a few others who were present, laughed at the joke. 

Draco did not laugh. Of course not. Not because he hadn't found amusement in Granger's words. It was because his mind had drowned in that wink of camaraderie, in that smile that was so sincere and mesmerizing that it was hard for him to believe it real. 

At that moment, he knew that Granger would cause him trouble.

At that moment, Draco felt that he would regret being an Auror; he would regret having reached that dream he believed was miles away. 

Or maybe not. 

.

" _...he's an idiot... _ " 

" _...she’s a know-it-all... _ " 

" _...he believes himself very strong just because he knows a couple of more spells than the rest... _ " 

" _...she believes she’s the leader of all of our missions... _ " 

" _...WE CANNOT WORK TOGETHER. _ " The screaming ended in unison. Potter smiled from the other side of his desk. 

Draco and Hermione grunted in unison, again. Harry smiled even more. 

"Now that you're done with your tantrum, kids, can you explain what happened?" Potter's ability to be so serene even at times like these—which by the way had already become a habit—made Draco admire him sometimes. But only sometimes. 

"I told him not to, but no... Mister ‘ _ I can handle everything _ ’ had no better idea than to run straight to the wolf's mouth.” Granger spat angrily. 

Draco frowned at her. "For your information, Miss ' _ I have the answer for everything _ ', Longbottom is alive because of what I did.  _ You're welcome _ ." 

She turned to face him. "Malfoy, this is not about who saves who–" 

"No? Does that mean you would have let them take him?” He interrupted her. Surprised, she took a half step back, taking in Malfoy's words. 

“I- I did not say-..."

"So, tell me…What would you have done, Granger?" 

Seconds passed, perhaps minutes or maybe hours, where both looked into each other's eyes without saying anything. Or perhaps saying more than necessary because they were both aware of how well they worked together, how well they bonded whenever they had to battle together in multiple duels. Without having to say a word, they both understood each attack and counterattack; they both took care of each other's backs. They protected each other. 

But there were times—like what had happened on the mission they had just returned from—that one of the two broke that balance, that silent contract both had signed through looks since the first duel they faced together, and did something stupid. 

This time it had been Draco, to everyone's surprise. Generally, the one who always did that kind of thing, the one who always ended up acting on some stupid impulse was Hermione, not him. She was a Gryffindor; he was a Slytherin. Even Draco himself couldn't explain what had been going through his head the moment he came out of his hiding place and ran to where that group of Death Eaters were; where Neville Longbottom had been such an idiot to let himself be captured, casting spells in all directions– and a desperate Hermione running behind him covering his back.

Draco knew in that moment that it was that, or they would see Longbottom die right in front of their noses. Hermione knew it too. 

Both her eyes and his radiated anger in that fight of glares. One even almost palpable. 

"We had a plan, Malfoy.  _ A plan _ . But you decided to create a new one on your own and run like a stupid suicidal hero.”

“Suicidal hero? Look who's talking,  _ Gryffindor _ . And yes, I created a plan that ended up saving Longbottom's life. Again,  _ you're welcome _ .” 

Hermione couldn't take it anymore. She closed her eyes and with the bag she carried hanging on one of her shoulders, she began to hit Draco in the chest. 

“You're– a– complete– ass– Draco Malfoy!” She stopped hitting him and looked him in the eye. Draco froze. Those chocolate orbs that seconds ago had faced him with a burning fire, looked at him with fear and concern. They were flooded with tears that she refused to let out. "If you hadn't– if I hadn't been fast enough you–  _ you're an idiot! _ " Hermione gave him one last hit before furiously wiping away the tears that had finally escaped her eyes. 

Draco felt his stomach shrink. No, definitely not. Her crying was not an image he would have liked to see.  _ Not again _ . Not after that time at Malfoy Manor. It only made him feel a strange longing to cover her with his arms and lock her in some distant place where no one could ever find her and make her cry again. Although at the time, he was to blame for those tears. 

And then those words came.

"If something had happened to you I–…I would never forgive myself." 

At that moment, Draco didn't hesitate. He wrapped his arms around Hermione and kissed her. 

He knew that she would never reciprocate though; he knew the words that had just come from her beautiful lips had to do with her Gryffindor instinct to be loyal to whoever was in her group. She hadn't said it with any other intention.

However, when Hermione released her bag to fall on the floor, she wrapped her delicate arms around his neck and kissed him back.

Draco thought he had made it to paradise. 

Harry Potter quietly left the office with the same smile that had not left his face throughout the entire discussion and had intensified when the pair kissed. 

_ Finally _ . 

. 

And so…there was Draco. Kissing Hermione Granger like there was no tomorrow. The world fell into a spinning silence; all that was heard was the sound of his soul crashing on her lips. 

For a moment, it was just the touch of their lips together, but it felt so good,  _ so right _ . After a couple of minutes, he pulled apart. His hands resting on Hermione’s neck as he rubbed his thumb along her jaw. Her skin was soft and smooth, as it had always looked, and all he could think about was how much he wanted to trace his lips all over her skin. 

She kept her eyes closed while her hands dropped from around Draco's neck to her sides. What were they doing? What was  _ she  _ doing? She was supposed to be very mad at him. She was supposed to hate him, like she did all those years at Hogwarts. He was a Slytherin; she was a Gryffindor. They were two  _ very _ different people.

Then, why was she dreading this excruciating want to lean over for another kiss?

Draco wasn’t feeling his unperturbed, stoic usual self. All he could think and feel was how much he wanted to kiss her again. How much he wanted to discover and cherish each and every part of her. How much he wanted to say ‘ _ I’m sorry _ ’ in the form of kisses and spread them all over her body; wishing,  _ hoping  _ she would forgive him for every stupid mistake he made in his life, to forgive him for every time he treated her wrong.

To just forgive him for never confessing the love he had for her since he was eleven years old and saw her climb up on the same boat he was, awkwardly caressing his beloved toad—which everyone had made fun of him of during the train ride that would take them to Hogwarts—and sat down next to him, smiling warmly and said, “I like your pet. What’s its name?”

He could have given her his bare heart if she asked for it at that moment.

Of course, when the Sorting Hat yelled the houses each one belonged to, everything changed. And he understood then; a Slytherin and a Gryffindor could never happen. Especially with all the drama of that old, sick madman.

But now, one more time, all changed again. However, this time was for good. Draco was happy he wouldn’t have to pretend he hated her and her blood status ever again. 

He wouldn’t have to pretend he was actually dying to kiss her again. So, he didn’t. 

Draco bent down, his lips against her cheek, brushing it lightly– and still that light touch sent shivers through her nerves; shivers that made her whole body tremble. “If you want me to stop, tell me now,” he breathed, his voice raspy with need. When Hermione didn't say anything, he brushed his mouth against the hollow of her temple. “Or now.” He traced the line of her cheekbone. “Or now.” His lips were against hers. 

“Or–..." 

She reached up again and pulled him down to her, the rest of his words were lost against her mouth.

He kissed her gently, carefully; but it wasn’t gentleness what she wanted, not now, not after all this time. 

Because,  _ yes _ . She was as much in love with him as he was. He had saved her life more times that she could count, and not only in this job they shared as Aurors. Also, in her Hogwarts years. Draco had always been there when his housemates made fun of her and her blood status, trapping her in a random corner to intimidate her. But now that she thought about it, he never had initiated a scene in front of anyone. Yes, he liked to get on her nerves, but that’s just his personality.

She realized; he had always been there. To ease the tension in between her and the bullies he called housemates; to prevent them from hurting her– every time she had been hurt was when Draco wasn’t around to prevent it.

_ He was always there to protect her _ . 

Hermione knotted her fists in his shirt, pulling him harder against her. He groaned softly, low in his throat, and then his arms circled her, gathering her against him. He pushed them together back until the wall was against her back and no space was in between each other. 

He kissed her like she wanted to be kissed, like nobody else had ever kissed her, soft and moist and hot and breathy; not trying to win a battle but seeking union and closeness and the sharing of one breath, one sensation, one timeless and passionate moment. The heat rose in her cheeks as her tongue touched his, quick and electric and delicious, then firmer, more determined, more curious to discover and taste every single inch of each other. 

Draco couldn’t be happier, couldn’t feel more excited, when her tongue danced with his. He felt like knocking on heaven’s door with each brush of their tongues. He definitely was in paradise. 

Nothing else mattered, just them lost in that kiss that sealed everything they had never said, but were clearly showing.

_ They loved one another with every fiber of their beings _ .

**&.**


End file.
